Scary decorations, costumes, trick-or-treating, and candy! How can you not love Halloween! Although as humans we love the fun and festivities of Halloween, we still need to be looking out for our furry friends. The danger of Halloween may be all fun and games to us humans, but for our four legged friends, the danger could be real. The good thing is, by taking some simple precautions, you can easily keep your pets happy, healthy, and safe from harm.
Candy:
Although candy is delicious, it can be harmful to your pet. Chocolate, in all its forms, can be dangerous, even lethal in large quantities, when ingested by both cats and dogs. Be sure to keep your chocolate treats out of reach of your pets because we all know how sneaky and mischievous some of our critters can be, and those wrappers can’t hold them back from getting that candy bar! Symptoms of chocolate poisoning may include vomiting, diarrhea, rapid breathing, irregular heart rate, and seizures.
Also be weary of candy with the artificial sweetener, xylitol. Dogs can be very sensitive to xylitol, and ingestion can cause low blood sugar, seizures, liver failure, or even death. Xylitol is most commonly found in chewing gum and sugar free candies.
Looks like opting for all the real sugar is safest here, so that is definitely a free pass for all the sugary Halloween candy you want, right? We think so.
Inside and Confined:
On Halloween night, it’s best to keep your pets inside and confined in a comfortable area of your home. Unfortunately, with the fun of Halloween also brings out the sometimes innocent, and sometimes vicious, pranksters. Pranksters will target the easiest prey, and oftentimes this ends up being someone's sweet furry friend. Pranksters have been known to tease, injure, steal, or even kill pets on Halloween. When inside, keeping your pets away from doors and being confined may also be best. Constant opening and closing of the door for trick-or-treaters can stress your pet and cause uncharacteristic aggression, and even tempt some pups and kitties to escape for some fun of their own.
Therefore inside and confined is safest for all of your pets. We are sure your pets will not be mad about this, especially if you set them up with nice soft pillows and blankets to take their evening naps before bedtime.
If you choose to not keep your furry friend inside or confined, be sure to have collars with identification tags and registered microchips on your pets for safety. An escaped pet can more easily be found and returned to you with an identification tag with their name, your name, and a phone number or address to be contacted at. Identification tags can also come in the shape of a bone, and therefore be quite the festive trendy accessory on Halloween.
Decorations:
Festive decorations are wonderful and definitely add to the excitement of Halloween. Unfortunately, some of our furry friends love to chew on and eat everything as they explore their surroundings. Decorative spider webs, gourds, corn, and pumpkins, along with other decorations may seem like delightful treats to your pups, but in larger quantities could cause an upset tummy and even an obstructed digestive tract. Decorative pumpkins, gourds, and corn can also grow mold with can be harmful to your pets. Some molds produce mycotoxins that can cause neurological problems in both cats and dogs. Best to keep the snacking to veterinary approved treats instead!
Happy Halloween! Stay safe, have fun, and keep all that candy to yourself!